The Orb of the Force
by Aaunty Pasta
Summary: Captain Janeway of the Voyager finds an orb and it takes her to the GFFA


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The Orb of the Force

By PaRu [PaRuJinn@marajade.net][1]

Crossover with Star Wars and Voyager and a tiny bit of DS9 thrown in to help the story.

Rating PG for implied sex

Synopsis: Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager has found a Bajoran Orb in the Delta Quadrant. When they bring it aboard, it takes them to a galaxy far, far away.

Disclaimer: These characters belong to George Lucas and Paramount. I'm only doing this for the enjoyment and no infringement is intended.

***************************************

A Long time ago in a galaxy Far, Far away.…

Well, maybe not that far.…

No, a little closer.…

__

The sky over the small planet spit fire, the fires streaking down and landing in the dirt of the small valley. In the blink of an eye, they were no longer fires but people. They were dressed in simple clothing, their heads covered by the hoods of their cloaks. The stood and brushed themselves off and turned as one final fireball landed in their midst. The strangers turned and, led by a woman, watched the larger fireball turn into several beings of pure light. The beings may have been of pure light but they radiated pure darkness.

The lead woman held out her hand as did the others around the perimeter. This caused a clear bubble to form around the dark ones. In their hands suddenly appeared balls of fire. In an unknown language, the lead woman shouted out then threw her fireball at the bubble as did her companions.

In a swirl of fire and light, the bubble moved down into the ground and amidst the screams of those inside, the bubble became trapped in the ground for all eternity.

After a few minutes of silence, the fire in the sky ignited once more and pulled a light from the people on the ground. A book dropped out of the sky and landed on the ground with a slight thud, then the sky went still and all was silent.

The woman who seemed to be the leader picked the book up then turned to survey her surroundings. There, hiding behind a rock, was a being. She stepped over to the rock and held out her hand to him. Where her nose was smooth and curved, his was ridged with smooth ridges. He hid a few minutes more but was won over by her beautiful smile. Moments later, the woman had made friends with the ancient Bajoran.

*******************************************

_"I don't understand," Benjamin Sisko said to the non corporeal beings._

"You will," his mother Sarah said. "You were chosen in this place as the child was chosen in another. Our destiny—yours and mine—is in the hands of these people. The Voyager crew know of our people and they have a descendant with them."

Without words, the entire story was told to Sisko. "Now I understand," he said.

"You must go to the Delta Quadrant," Sarah told him. "The Orb of the Force—the Orb of the Jedi—waits to be found.

One Million Years later in the Delta Quadrant...

Ensign Kia Ni was at her post, usually Ensign Harry Kim's post, but Captain Janeway had seen potential in the girl and was having her trained in Harry's duties as an assistant to him. Now Janeway called the young Bajoran to duty on an away team along with herself, Tuvok, Ensign Paris and Seven of Nine. Chakotay smiled at her with fatherly pride as she followed the captain onto the turbolift.

Ni had been one of the Maquis who had gotten lost in the Delta Quadrant more than four years ago. She had wandered the Alpha Quadrant in the years since she had been orphaned during the occupation of her home planet of Bajor. She had found friends and a place to belong among the Maquis. If she had had friends among the Maquis, here on Voyager, she had found the family she had longed for since her parents had died.

She was an expert on caves. That's why she had been brought along. Her caving experience made her role vital to the crew as they mined for the much needed dilithium. As she dug in the dark soil, she found herself remembering the fire caves of Bajor. She had explored and mapped the caves several years before joining the Maquis but they were nothing like these. These caves were dark and narrow. The fire caves, long believed to have been the prison for the evil Prophets cast from the Celestial Temple, were beautiful and shining.

"Ensign Kia," came Captain Janeway's voice from around a rock formation. "Would you come here?"

Ni got to her feet, careful not to hit her head on the low ceiling, and brushed herself off. Around the bend was Janeway, standing over a box of some sort. "You're our resident expert on archeology," Janeway said. "What do you think?"

"Only on Bajoran archeology," Ni said as she looked down at it. It had been almost mandatory that she know something about archeology in order to explore the fire caves.

Dusting more of the dirt off, she ran her fingers along the edges. "The shape reminds me of the cases that the Orbs are housed in," she said. She ran her fingers into the grooves. The more dirt she dug off of the box, the more it looked like an Orb box. "This is impossible."

"Maybe we should take it to the ship," Tom Paris put in.

"Not yet," the girl said. "I want scans of the whole area before we move it. The Bajoran government may want to see what we have."

Six hours later, after having taken hundreds of scans of the box and the caverns around it, Ni allowed the box to be beamed up to the ship. In the lab with the assistance of the holographic doctor and Ensign Kim, she cleaned the box until all the dirt was gone and she could see the markings. Her fingers were tracing along the strange markings when Janeway entered the lab.

"Well, Ensign?"

Ni shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "The markings are kind of Bajoran, but I have never seen anything like them before."

Janeway bent down to look at it. "Have you tried opening it?"

Ni shook her head. "I thought you might want to be here when we did that, Captain."

Janeway smiled up at her. "You thought right, Ensign." She stood back up straight and waved her hand to the box. "Would you like the honor?"

Ni smiled and placed her hands on the small handles. They were easily movable, and she slid the sides of the box open to reveal the bright Orb floating as if it were the light suspending it. Ni bit her lip to contain her excitement as the Captain's comm beeped.

Janeway tapped the device pinned to her chest and responded. "What is it?"

"There's been an increase in temporal emissions around the ship," came Chakotay's voice over the comm.

"That's not...," Janeway began then looked back down at the Orb.

"What was that?" Chakotay asked.

"I'm on my way," Janeway said then turned to Ni. "Close the box."

Ni moved to comply but was not fast enough. A flash stunned her into motionlessness while the captain was suddenly very still.

Kathryn Janeway closed her eyes against the flash. "Captain," said a voice that seemed familiar. "Captain Janeway please open your eyes."

She slowly opened her eyes to find herself standing before Captain Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space Nine. "Where am I?"

Sisko smiled. "Long story. As some would say, *Part of the Force.*"

"Why am I here?"

"The Prophets need your help," Sisko replied. "A wraith, a dark Prophet, has escaped their prison. His plan is to go through time to kill someone very important to the future of both the prophets and the Bajorans... and you."

Janeway began pacing. "What exactly is going on?"

"You have someone on board who is important to this task," Sisko replied as Janeway stopped pacing and turned to look at him. At Janeway's puzzled look he smiled. "Ensign Kia is a descendant of the beings who trapped the wraiths in the fire caves. She will be vital to the lives of the people you must save."

"People?!" Janeway exclaimed. "I thought you said one!"

"One whom you will need to help you and the others destroy the wraith once and for all," Sisko explained. "You will be making two stops to two different times."

"Why?"

"One to save the help you'll need," Sisko said. "Two for the time which you will be saving four lives important to everyone's future. You'll find out what else you need to know in time." There was another flash and Janeway was back in the lab.

The Captain's communicator chirped again. Janeway shook away the cobwebs in her head and answered it as Ni closed the box.

"What is it Commander?" Janeway asked.

"I'm not sure but...," Chakotay began.

"We're not in Kansas anymore," Paris interjected.

"We're within sensor range of a class M planet," Chakotay went on. "There's a battle going on in orbit and signs of several battles taking place on the planet. Their weapons and ships are like nothing I've ever..., whoa!"

"What happened?" Janeway asked.

"Several smaller ships were attacking a larger one," Chakotay responded. "The larger one exploded."

Janeway gestured for Ni to follow and headed to the bridge as she spoke. "Can you take us in any closer without..."

"Uh oh," came a voice, Harry's she thought.

"What is it?" she asked.

"They've spotted us," Chakotay said.

*********************************************

Anakin sensed rather than saw the other ship and turned his own towards it. "Guys," he said amidst the cheers of the Nubian pilots. "Is that a good guy or a bad guy?"

The cheers and laughter subsided as the rest of the Nubian fighters got into formation. "It's of a design I've never seen before," Ric Olie said. "Hold formation and wait. I'm going to open the comm frequencies and see if they're listening." He flipped a few switches to open the frequencies and began to talk. "Unknown ship. Please identify yourselves."

The comm crackled to life. The language was strange and garbled for a few minutes before it finally cleared up. "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship..."

"We have already defeated your warship, Federation scum," Olie said. "Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of."

******************************************

Janeway slid a quick finger across her throat for Tuvok to mute the transmission. "Not very friendly," Ni commented from a chair next to Harry Kim.

Janeway shook her head. "Obviously I made a small mistake," Janeway said. "Their enemy must be a federation of some kind." She signaled Tuvok to turn the sound back on. "I'm sorry, but were not part of the Federation you are fighting. We represent a Federation of Planets in a place far from here."

"Very far from here," Harry murmured under his breath.

"Would it be possible," Janeway went on. "To meet with your ruler?"

*******************************************

Ric switched frequencies to the battle frequency. "What do you think?" he asked his people.

There were mumbles as the others gave excuses but the comm quieted when Anakin's voice broke through. "They don't want to hurt us," he said with conviction. "I think they only want to help."

"They're a little late for that," Nute said. "But all right." He switched back to the other frequency. "Queen Amidala should be through to the throne room."

"Where would that be?" Janeway asked.

"It's just above the reactor in the palace," Ric responded

*******************************************

"I will send a team down to confer with her," Janeway told the man before cutting off the communication. She turned to Harry and Ni. "Can you find the palace?"

"Already found," Harry said as Ni looked over his shoulder. "I get readings on the reactor but..." he turned to Ni.

"There's some kind of weapons discharge in that chamber," Ni pointed out. "If it hits the reactor, the whole place might go up."

"Good point," Janeway said. "Will our weapons work there?"

"The energy signatures are compatible," Harry said. "If we fire a phaser there, I don't think it will blow up the core."

"Good," Janeway said and turned to go.

"Captain," Ni interrupted. "It might be a good idea to take the doctor in case someone is injured and needs help."

Janeway nodded. "I'll take B'Elanna as well in case something happens to make the reactor go critical. She may not know the technology, but she may be able to improvise." She signaled to Tuvok and with a final smile at Ni and Harry, she left the bridge.

************************************

"Noooo!" Obi-Wan screamed as the blade ran through his master, friend and teacher. He watched helplessly from the other side of the forcefield as Qui-Gon fell to the floor next to his lightsaber.

He swallowed and watched as Maul paced like a caged beast, impatient to kill the other Jedi. A surge in the Force felt by both Obi-Wan and the Sith caused both to jump. Thinking it was only the battle above, a battle that he sensed Anakin had joined, Obi-Wan ignored it. The Sith on the other hand was a bit disturbed by it and his concentration waned. When the shield came down, his attention was so off that all Obi-Wan had to do was step forward and strike him down, slicing him neatly in two. He stopped to watched as the two pieces of the Sith fell into the deep pit behind him then rushed over to his fallen Master.

"Something's changed," Qui-Gon said softly.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked as he held Qui-Gon's head in his lap.

Before Qui-Gon could answer, there was a strange sound from the other end of the room. Four beings dressed in black with trim of either red, blue or green appeared out of thin air. The man with blue trim and a device attached to the sleeve stepped forward to use some kind of device on Qui-Gon.

"This man is in need of immediate medical attention," he said to the woman.

"Take him back to the ship," the woman said. She had medium length brown hair and red trim on her uniform and as she drew closer, Obi-Wan could see four round circles pinned to her collar. "I get the feeling that he's the key to all of this."

She waved Obi-Wan back and he moved to comply, still in relative shock, before watching as the man and Qui-Gon disappeared in a cloud of sparkling light.

Shocked, Obi-Wan turned to the woman. "Who are you and what have you done with Qui-Gon?" he demanded.

The woman held out her hand as if to calm him. "He's fine," she said. "Our doctor has taken him back to our ship for treatment."

"How?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'll explain that in time," she said then held out her hand for a handshake. "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager. I'm a representative of the United Federation of Planets. And before you ask, no, I'm not associated in any way with your Trade Federation."

Obi-Wan stood staring. "Where are you from?"

"Rather than explain several times, I'd like to tell the story all at once," she said. "Can you take us to the ruler of this planet?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'd be happy to." He smiled getting a smile from the woman in return. "Is Qui-Gon going to be all right?"

"I'll get a full report from the doctor in a few minutes after he has a chance to assess his condition." She turned to head out the door. 

"Uh, we have to wait for them to cycle down," Obi-Wan interrupted.

In response, one of the others, a dark woman with ridges on her forehead, took out a device like the one the doctor had held over Qui-Gon and started pressing buttons eliciting soft beeps from the object. Seconds later, the fields cycled and went off—without coming back on again. The woman closed up the device and slid it back into its pouch.

"After you," Janeway said as she waved her hand to him.

Obi-Wan realized that his mouth was hanging open and closed it. After a second more of hesitation, he led them out of the room.

**********************************

Queen Amidala, still in her handmaiden clothing, sat on her throne surrounded by Anakin, Ric Olie, Captain Panaka and Obi-Wan Kenobi as Janeway explained where they were from and how they had come to be where they were. "Why did these 'Prophets' send you here?" she asked when Janeway had finished.

"I don't know," Janeway said.

"Qui-Gon says that everything happens for a reason," Obi-Wan put in as he fidgeted with the long thin braid hanging down his right shoulder. "There is a reason for this. We just have to find it."

Amidala nodded. "The Jedi Council will be here in two days. Perhaps they can shed some light on the situation."

"Perhaps they can," Obi-Wan said then turned to Janeway. "In the meantime, can we find out how Qui-Gon is doing?"

Janeway tapped the gold insignia on her chest. "Janeway to sickbay," she said.

Obi-Wan and Anakin jumped when there was an answer from the badge. "Sickbay," came the doctor's voice.

"How is the patient, doctor?" Janeway asked.

"He has suffered some severe injuries," said the disembodied voice. "But it looks like he will be just fine."

Obi-Wan let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "Can we see him?" he asked with a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"I don't see why not," the doctor said. "I'll alert the transporter room to expect you."

"Have Ensign Kia waiting for them in transporter room three," Janeway said. "Janeway out. Bridge."

"Here, Captain," Chakotay's voice came from the small communicator.

"There are two to beam up at this signal," she said.

"Acknowledged," Chakotay said. 

A few seconds later, Obi-Wan felt a strange tingling sensation as the room around him disappeared. When the world went solid once again, Obi-Wan found himself in a new room. A woman with ridges on her nose stood waiting near a console and she stepped forward. 

"I'm Ensign Kia Ni," she said. "Welcome aboard."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said then put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "This is Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin stuck out his hand and Ni shook it. "If you'll come this way," she said as she waved her hand towards the door. Obi-Wan led them out the door then waited for Ni to begin leading them.

"How long have you served on this ship?" Obi-Wan asked the girl.

"Four years," was her reply.

"Why do you have those bumps on your nose?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan looked slightly horrified but Ni only laughed. "I'm Bajoran," she told him. "My people have ridges." She paused. "Why don't you have any on yours?"

Obi-Wan smiled as Anakin looked at her. "Because I'm not Bajoran," he replied.

Ni laughed again. "Good answer," she said then steered them through a door.

In this room were several beds, only one of which was occupied. Qui-Gon had been staring at the ceiling but when they entered he looked over. He looked healthy, Obi-Wan noted, but looks could be deceiving. He was not wearing his Jedi robes but a skin tight body suit of some kind.

"I'm fine, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "Try not to worry."

"Who's worried," Obi-Wan said with a shrug. But he knew that Qui-Gon knew better.

Slowly, Qui-Gon sat up and got his first good look at the woman who had escorted Obi-Wan and Anakin here—and he stopped. He had seen her before in his dreams, dreams that he had had for years, dreams that he had never told anyone of.

Ni, for her part, gasped and backed away. She had dreamt of this man starting from when her parents had been killed by Cardassians. In the dream, he had comforted the grieving teen and helped her through the pain. Now, here he was real flesh and blood and she was frightened beyond belief. Here was what she had thought was a figment of her imagination, sitting on the biobed.

"Who are you?" she demanded from across the room.

"I'm a Jedi," he said. "I've seen you in my dreams."

"I have seen you in my dreams, too," she said. "Why?"

"It is the will of the Force," was his reply.

"I don't know of the Force," she said. "My people believe in the prophets." She dashed through the door and was gone. Qui-Gon watched after her.

"Master?" Obi-Wan asked questioningly. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Qui-Gon responded. "All I know is that she is supposed to be here."

"Why?" Anakin asked.

Qui-Gon smiled at the child. "That will be revealed in due time," he replied.

*****************************

Ni made a mad dash to the crew quarters she shared with three other Maquis ensigns. Once there, she flopped down on her bed and hid her face in the pillow. She lay there for a long time before the door chimed. She slid out of her bed and went to answer the door. She was half afraid to see who was there but touched the pad that opened it anyway. It wasn't the stranger from sickbay, but Harry Kim holding his clarinet.

"I though we were supposed to be practicing our duet," he said.

Ni smacked her head with the heal of her hand. "Sorry, Harry," she said. "I just forgot. Let me get my oboe."

Ni rushed back to the bed and slid the instrument's case out from under it. She quickly opened it up and put the instrument together as Harry spoke behind her.

"We haven't had much time to practice lately," he said. "Tonight's our performance at the talent show."

Her oboe in hand, she turned to Harry. "You mean we're still having the talent show?"

"The captain has invited the Queen and our current guests to it, so it's been moved to holodeck two," he told her.

Suddenly, she was inexplicable nervous. "I don't want to go on tonight, Harry," she said.

"What? Why?" Harry asked. "We've been practicing this for weeks and it just doesn't sound the same without the oboe."

"Please don't make me do this," she said as she twisted the pieces of her oboe around.

Harry took the instrument from her shaking hands. "What's come over you? Why are you like this all of a sudden?"

"I am just nervous," she said as she began wringing her hands. "Please don't make me go on."

"You can't just back out on Neelix like this," he said then fell silent as he watched the woman. He shook his head. "Why don't we just practice like we're not going on tonight and we'll see how you feel when the time comes."

Ni still looked uptight but she relaxed a little. "I can't make any promises," she said as she took the instrument and aligned the two pieces correctly.

************************************************

Harry stood in dress uniform next to Ni as she tried to talk herself into not being nervous. She paced in the plain black dress trimmed with gold and ran her hands along the holes in her instrument in the patterns that would have made the song had she been blowing through it. They were standing near the performance area where Tom Paris was spinning plates on rods for the laughing audience.

"Try to stay calm, Ni," Harry said soothingly. "You know this thing frontward and backward."

"I know," she said. "I'm nervous about our guests."

"They're people just like you and me," he pointed out. "They put their pants on just like you and me."

Ni stifled a giggle as she pictured their guests without pants. Thankfully, it loosened her up a little. "That's the ticket," Harry said as Tom finished his act and took a bow.

Neelix stood in the center of the performance area and clapped along with the rest of the audience. "That was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" he asked the audience. The audience clapped and Neelix went on. "Next is a more serious performance from some of our serious musicians. Harry Kim has been playing the clarinet since he was a child while Kia Ni started learning the oboe when she came on board and has become fairly proficient. Together they have written a duet inspired by an adventure we had some months ago. The song is entitled, 'The Void'." He stepped aside to allow Harry and Ni to take his place.

Ni placed the oboe's two reeds between her lips and readied herself as Harry did the same. He bounced the clarinet almost imperceptibly in the rhythm of the song then both instruments began to play. The melody was hauntingly beautiful with the instruments playing in perfect harmony. Not a single note was played wrong. When Ni glanced up, her eyes met those of the man from sickbay.

Qui-Gon held her gaze for several minutes before she tore her eyes away. She looked at Captain Janeway for a few seconds then, looking concerned, returned her eyes back to her playing. Qui-Gon looked at the woman who had held Ni's attention for those few brief seconds. Janeway had an indescribable sense of guilt surrounding her. He didn't have to reach far into her mind to see the reason why. He turned his attention back to Ni and Harry.

Finally, the song came to an end and the duet looked up at the crowd. The applause was loud and thoughtful. Many of the crew stood in a standing ovation. Their guests looked intrigued as they clapped along.

"Bravo!" Tom yelled, causing Ni to blush. Her eyes scanned the crowd before stopping at Qui-Gon.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his smile and she smiled shyly back. When the applause stopped, Neelix stepped forward and reminded everyone of the refreshments.

Harry took back Ni's attention by putting his hand on her shoulder. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Ni looked at the floor then back up at Harry. "No it wasn't," she replied as someone came up behind her.

"You've grown rather proficient for only having started a few short years ago," said the man from sickbay.

"Thanks you," she said then realized that they hadn't been properly introduced. "I'm Kia Ni and this is Harry Kim."

"I know," the man said. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn."

Harry held is hand out and shook Qui-Gon's. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Harry said. "If you'll excuse me, I seem to have someone who wants to talk to me."

Ni followed him with her eyes to where Tom Paris had been frantically waving at him then turned back to Qui-Gon. She had no idea what to say to the man so he spoke first.

"Kia, I...," he began.

"It's Ni," she replied. "In my culture, the family name is first, then the given name."

"Ni," Qui-Gon began. "I don't know where to begin."

"Neither do I," she replied. "But right now I need to mingle a bit then go to bed." She paused. "I have an early shift tomorrow."

"My apologies," Qui-Gon said softly and with a small bow. "I will no longer take you from your sleep."

When he left her side, she felt relief and just a little guilt. She shrugged and turned to the Queen as she approached, dressed in a beautifully elegant costume and red and white make-up. Ni made conversation by asking about the costume and make-up, one eye still on Qui-Gon as he joined Janeway, standing alone by the food table.

**************************************

"Don't feel guilty," Qui-Gon said as he approached Captain Janeway. "They understand."

"I know they understand. It just doesn't...," she stopped suddenly. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"The Force tells me many things," he replied.

"Did the Force tell you how we ended up in the Delta Quadrant?"

"Yes and it was through no fault of yours," he replied. "If you had not become stranded, do you think you would have ever met any of these people? That you would have ever felt what you feel for your commander?"

Janeway looked sharply at him. "What do you know of my feelings for Commander Chakotay?"

"Only that you have them," Qui-Gon said. "And that many in your crew know you have them as well."

"It would be inappropriate to act on them," she pointed out.

"Because you are the captain and he your first officer?" Qui-Gon paused to let her think for a moment then gave her something else to think about. "The captain is allowed to have a life too you know."

He left her alone to contemplate his words. When she looked up, she found herself looking across the room at Chakotay as he spoke to the Gungan Boss. As if her could feel her eyes, he looked over, smiled then went back to his conversation. Janeway had to smile as well.

**********************************

Ni was almost asleep on her stomach in her bunk when the door chimed. One of the others that she shared the room with groaned and she rolled herself off of the bed to go see who it was. When the door slid open and she could see who it was, she came instantly awake.

"Hello," Qui-Gon said. "May I talk to you?"

Ni held up her finger. "One minute," she said. She took her robe off of its hook and put it on over her pair of pajamas. She slid her slippers on her feet and went out into the hall with the tall Jedi.

"Is there something you need?" she asked him as she walked slowly beside him down the corridor.

"No," he replied. "Just to talk. For instance, what brought you here?"

"The Orb," Ni answered.

"Orb?"

Ni stopped walking and turned to face him so she could explain. "My people have believed in the existence of Prophets and their Celestial Temple for centuries. They live in the Denaurious Belt near my planet. They sent seven Orbs to my people over thousands of years and each has a special purpose. There's the Orb of Prophesy and the Orb of Knowledge and the Orb of Time. We found one on a planet in the Delta Quadrant."

"May I see this Orb?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I'll have to clear it with the Captain first," she replied then to his nod stepped to a comm panel. She touched a pad and spoke. "Ensign Kia to Janeway."

Seconds later Janeway's groggy voice greeted her. "Yes, Ensign?"

"Mr. Jinn has requested to see the Orb," Ni told her.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Janeway told her.

"I think we should let him look at it," Ni said. "He may be able to tell us how to use it to get home," she paused. "Or at least back to where we were."

Janeway paused as if thinking about it. "That's a good point," Janeway responded. "Permission granted, but if we end up in yet another galaxy... it's on your head."

Ni could tell that she was joking and smiled. "I'll take full responsibility," she joked back. "Ni out." Ni turned back to her quarters. "I think I'll feel more comfortable in my uniform."

"Take your time," Qui-Gon said. "I'll be waiting out here for you."

***********************************

Janeway lay back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She thought about Sisko's words in her own contact with the orb. He had said they would save someone to help them. Was this Qui-Gon Jinn the help that they had come for? She rolled over in her bed to lay on her side. 

She glimpsed the photograph on the bedside table of herself and Chakotay on New Earth and reached to pick it up. One finger traced the outline of her friend's face before placing it back on the bedside. _The captain is allowed to have a life too._ After a couple more minutes of looking at the picture, she turned the lights off and snuggled down to go back to sleep.

***********************************

Minutes later, Ni was sitting on the floor next to Qui-Gon as he examined the box. "_The hands of the Jedi_," he quoted as he ran his fingers over the writing on the box.

"You can read it?" Ni asked with mild surprise.

"Yes," Qui-Gon answered. "It's Basic." He paused. "It seems to be an updated version of it, but it's Basic."

"I have some visuals of the other Orb cases," she said as she pulled herself to her feet. She reached across the lab's only table and grabbed a padd, calling the information up that she needed. "The language is ancient Bajoran. The translation on this one is supposedly, 'The heart of the Prophets'."

Qui-Gon looked at the visual. "Is there any way we can get a close up of the writing?" Ni took the padd and touched the screen where she wanted the picture enlarged then handed it back to him. Qui-Gon smile slightly at her before looking at the writing.

"This is a version of Basic as well," he told her. "Even more different than this," he gestured to the box before them, "But the translation isn't that far off. It's 'the heart of the Jedi'."

"What it looks like is your Basic has become the standard for the Bajoran language," Ni said. "The question is, how?"

Qui-Gon looked at the Orb case. "What exactly happened to bring you here?" he asked.

"We opened the box to see the Orb," Ni explained. "Seconds later we got a call about an increase in temporal emissions. Before I could even close the case, there was a flash and we were here."

"Obviously it was the Orb that brought you here," Qui-Gon said.

"Do you want to see the orb?"

Qui-Gon was hesitant. "Yes," he said. "There is something about this that feels right."  
Without another word, Ni grasped the handles and pulled the doors open. The shining of the Orb lit up the room and sparkled in Qui-Gon's eyes. Then his consciousness waned and he fell into a Jedi trance.

A bright light surrounded him and a form stepped from its depths. He was a dark man with a bald head and a small goatee and was dressed in a uniform similar to those worn by the Voyager's crew. "Who are you?" Qui-Gon asked him.

"My name is Benjamin Sisko," he said.

"Are you a prophet of the Bajorans?" Qui-Gon asked.

Sisko chuckled. "No, I'm human like most of the crew of Voyager," he said. "I'm the Emissary." Qui-Gon nodded as Sisko continued. "I guess you could call me the chosen one."

"Then Anakin isn't the chosen one?"

"No, Anakin will bring balance," Sisko went on. "My destiny was just to help the Prophets win the ultimate battle between the dark ones and the light ones."

"You speak as if you are talking about the Force," Qui-Gon commented.

"In a way, that is true," Sisko said. "The Prophets are the midi-chlorians. They have evolved past the need to be in symbiosis with anyone."

"Are you a product of the midi-chlorians?"

"In a way, yes. They led my mother to my father and after I was born, she left me for my father to raise," Sisko told him. "Just as they did with Anakin."

"But Shmi said that there was no father," Qui-Gon said.

"There was, but the midi-chlorians or Prophets or whatever you want to call them took the memory from her mind just as they took the memory from your mind," Sisko explained.

Qui-Gon stared at the dark man. He couldn't believe what he was saying. "I'm not sure I understand," he said.

"You understand," Sisko said. "You just can't believe it." He paused. "Do you remember ten years ago when you felt a stirring of the Force and you had to follow it?" Qui-Gon nodded. "You followed it to Tatooine where you met a slave woman."

"Shmi."

"Yes," Sisko said. "Together you created Anakin."

"Why don't I remember?"

"Because you were under the control of the midi-chlorians in your cells," Sisko explained. "As was Shmi."

"Then Anakin is my son?"

Sisko nodded. "Yeah," he said as he smiled and fell into his human mode. "That's why you felt such a connection to him and to his mother."

Qui-Gon was silent a few minutes to let that bit of information sink in. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

Sisko nodded. "In a thousand generations, the children of the children of the children, a thousand times, of Anakin will travel to ancient Bajor and help imprison the dark Prophets. Ni is an descendant of those Jedi and some of the ancient Bajorans." He paused. "As a matter of fact, a lot of Bajorans who have a connection to the Prophets are descendants of those original Jedi."

"That is why I feel a connection to her," Qui-Gon said.

Sisko nodded again. "Exactly." He paused again. "But you can't tell Anakin that he's going to have children someday. It would jeopardize everything I have told you." 

"How can this be?" Qui-Gon asked. "Time travel?"

"Time has no meaning to the Prophets," Sisko said. "Space has no meaning for them either. I need to send them to another time. You must go with them."

"Does it have something to do with the descendants?"

Sisko nodded. "Lives need to be saved."

"Who will train the boy?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Your apprentice," Sisko replied. "It is his destiny."

Suddenly, he was gone and the light brightened then flashed and Qui-Gon was back in the room in front of the still shining Orb. Slowly he reached out and closed the doors to the box before looking at Ni. Qui-Gon smiled at her bewilderment.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Qui-Gon grinned. "I'm absolutely fine.

***********************************

The council had arrived and was sitting in a circle of chairs in the main throne room of the palace on Naboo. Master Yoda and Master Windu sat at the head of the circle listening to Captain Janeway's tale.

"See this Orb I would like," Yoda said.

"I've had an encounter with it," Qui-Gon put in.

"Hear about this encounter I would like as well, Master Qui-Gon," Yoda replied. "But see the Orb first I must."

"But not right now," Mace Windu said eliciting a look from Yoda. "We have other duties first. Obi-Wan Kenobi step forward."

Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon briefly then stepped forward and gave a small bow.

"The rank of full Jedi the council bestows on you," Yoda said solemnly. "Now Qui-Gon can take young Skywalker as his Padawan learner..."

"Uh, Master Yoda," Qui-Gon spoke up. He stood with his hands on Anakin's shoulders. "It's not that I don't want to train the boy. But a Jedi vision during meditation has brought to my attention the fact that I am not meant to train him."

The council, Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at him with surprise. "Then who may I ask," Mace said, "will train the boy?"

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said simply.

"Are you sure I can?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It is your destiny," Qui-Gon told the new Jedi.

"More to this there is," Yoda said. "But drop it for now we will. Train the boy Obi-Wan will. Though I like it not." He turned to Captain Janeway. "The Orb I must see."

"I will let the ship know that you'll be beaming up with us," she said then bowed slightly.

****************************************

__

Something was chasing her through the halls of the Voyager and she was running as fast as she could to get away from it. It was getting closer, catching up with her and she tried to run faster but her movement instead seemed groggy and slow.

She slammed into something and fell to the floor. She looked up at the cloaked figure as he brought one of the Jedi lightsabers to bear on her. The cloak's hood was over his head so she couldn't see who he was but he radiated darkness. She began to scream.

"Ni!" a voice broke through her dream, waking her. "Ni wake up!"

Ni opened her eyes to find her roommates hovering over her. "Another nightmare?" Julie asked from the bunk above her. Ni nodded. "The one where you're being chased?" Ni nodded again and pushed herself up on her elbows. "You haven't had that one since before we ended up in the Delta Quadrant."

"I know," Ni said as she waved the others back to their beds. They still threw her concerned looks as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. "This one felt different though."

"How?"

"There was a man with one of those Jedi lightsabers," she told the woman above her as the others watched from their bunks. "He was evil and he felt—I don't know..."

"You'll figure it out," Julie said as she lay back on her bunk. "Try to get some sleep we have a long..."

She was interrupted by Ni's communicator. Ni rubbed her face and picked it up squeezing slightly eliciting a chirp. "Kia here," she said.

"Ensign, would you meet me in the lab?" asked Captain Janeway's disembodied voice.

"Give me ten minutes," Ni said.

"It will take at least that long anyway," Janeway said. "We're still on the planet."

"I'll be there with bells on," Ni said. "Kia out."

****************************************

Ni made it to the lab before Janeway and went over and fingered the Orb case. It was probably a great archeological find. She should write a paper on it that she could publish when they got back to Federation space. Her thoughts strayed to the dream. She had had that dream many times and in many different venues. The forests of the Maquis base, the fire caves, the corridors of Deep Space Nine, but always she was running and always she ran into the dark man. The difference this time was that he had attacked her.

She broke out of her reverie when the door opened and Janeway entered the lab—followed by two other Jedi, one tall with brown skin and a serious expression and the other short and green with long pointy ears sticking out of the sides of his head.

"Nice place this is," the green one said. He looked up at Ni. "Ensign Kia Ni, you are?"

Ni nodded. "I am," she replied with a respectful bow. "Is there something you wish to know?"

"To see the Orb my only wish is," he said. "Yoda my name is. Mace Windu my companion is."

She nodded to the dark man and turned to the case. She placed her hand on the handle and opened it up, stepping aside so the diminutive Jedi Master could see the Orb as it floated in the center of the box. For a minute he stared at it but nothing happened. Ni was puzzled when Yoda motioned for her to close the box.

"Confused you are?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"When Qui-Gon opened the box and looked at the Orb," Ni began. "He went into some kind of trance. I was just wondering why you didn't."

"Nothing to tell me they have," Yoda said. "But forbid me not did they in viewing the Orb." He paused. "Had a long encounter Qui-Gon did, hmm?"

"Not incredibly long," Ni said as Janeway watched her carefully. "Maybe sixty seconds."

"Something to say to Qui-Gon it did," Yoda stated. "Why this is that he refused to train the boy."

"Did he say anything to you about the encounter?" Mace asked.

Ni shook her head but before she could vocalize, Yoda interrupted. "Something wrong there is," he said. "Something bothering you there is?"

"I had a bad dream," Ni said. "I've had it before, but this time it was different."

"About what was this dream?" Yoda asked.

"I was being chased," Ni said. "By what I don't know, but I crashed into a man in a black cloak much like the ones you wear. The difference this time was that he came after me with one of your laser swords."

"The Sith," Mace Windu said. "You couldn't see who he was?"

Ni shook her head. "I was screaming and my roommates woke me up."

"Always two there are," Yoda said.

"A Master and an apprentice," Mace finished.

"Which one was killed by Obi-Wan we do not know," Yoda went on.

Ni suddenly spoke with an insight that surprised her captain. "It was the apprentice," she said. "But what if they have broken the rules and there is really many of them out there, waiting for the chance to rise and defeat the Jedi?"

"Much insight have you," Yoda said. "Strong with the Force are you."

"How is that possible?" Janeway asked.

"Know I do not," Yoda said. "Know Qui-Gon may. A connection to the girl he has."

"I'll ask him," Ni said. "Maybe he'll tell me."

"If tell you he does," Yoda said. "Decide you must what to do with the information. Your decision it will be on reporting to the council. Required to follow our rules you are not."

***********************************

Qui-Gon sat on his knees on the balcony of the Nubian Palace when Ni found him. His hands lay on his knees and he had closed eyes. Ni didn't interrupt but sat in a similar position in front of him with her face to him. Then she simply waited until he spoke.

"You want to know about my encounter with the Orb," he said and opened his eyes. He was surprised to find that she was in civilian clothes, a decorative earring with a chain decorating her right ear.

"I'm on shore leave," she said as she glanced down at the blue shirt and brown pants that she was wearing. "And yes, I want to hear about the encounter."

"It's hard to explain," he said. "It seems that a thousand generations from now Anakin's descendants will be instrumental in driving a dark sect of beings from this part of space."

"The Prophets," Ni said.

"Yes," Qui-Gon said. "They are the midi-chlorians I told you about."

"The ones that are in symbiosis with all life?" Ni asked.

He nodded. "Some will have evolved past the need for hosts. They have two distinct sides."

"The light and the dark."

"Yes. Anakin's descendants follow the beings, Prophets for lack of a better term, to your Bajor and fight them, entombing them in the mountains."

"The fire caves," Ni said. "The legends say that the evil Prophets were trapped there and only the Emissary could trap them there for all of eternity."

"That's right," Qui-Gon said. "But the descendants of the Jedi have a connection to the Prophets. The Jedi mated with some ancient Bajorans." His blue-gray eyes locked with Ni's sea blue ones. "You are one of their descendants."

She began playing with the earring. "Incredible."

Qui-Gon twisted his head to look at the earring. "Is that something your entire culture wears?" he asked. "Or just you?"

"All Bajorans wear the earring," she said. "Except when we're Starfleet officers on duty. Why?"

"Have you noticed Obi-Wan's braid?" he asked. At her nod her went on. "He wears it over his right ear. This is a tradition that goes back thousands of years. Having become a full Jedi, I have cut it off of him."

"You think the earring might be an extension of that?"

"Possibly," Qui-Gon said then fell silent.

"Then possibly the tradition of my people having their family name before their given name is from Master Yoda's backwards speech?" Ni suggested with a smile.

Qui-Gon laughed. "You might have a point," he replied. Then both fell silent.

"There's more," Ni said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes there is," Qui-Gon said. "Anakin is my son."

Ni looked surprised. "How can you be sure?"

"Your Emissary told me," Qui-Gon said. "They needed a father and a mother who are strong with the Force to be his parents."

"I don't understand," Ni said so Qui-Gon explained about the prophecy about the chosen one.

"Anakin is the chosen one," Qui-Gon said.

"Then why can't you train him?" Ni said. "And how could you have spoken to the Emissary? Last I knew he was as human as anybody else."

Qui-Gon tackled the first question first. "It is forbidden in the code for a father to train a son..."

"Since when has that stopped you?" Ni asked.

Qui-Gon could see the sparkle in her eyes so he ignored the interruption and went on. "And it is not my destiny to train him. Your own Emissary told me that."

"Obi-Wan has that honor," she put in.

"Yes," Qui-Gon replied. "As for how I spoke to your Emissary, well he said he had done what he had been created to do."

"So now he's one with the Force or whatever it is that you say?"

"He didn't come right out and tell me but I got the feeling that he had been taken into what you call the Celestial Temple so that he could learn," Qui-Gon said. "It was like he still had work to do."

Ni nodded. "I understand."

"Are you going to tell the council what I have told you?"

Ni shook her head. "That should be your responsibility. You need to choose what they should be told or if they should be told any of it at all."

"It will be a hard decision," he said.

"I know you can make it," Ni said.

Qui-Gon fell back into a more relaxed sitting position. "There's something else."

Ni wrinkled her nose more than it was already wrinkled. "I hate how you guys do that," she said. Qui-Gon only sat expectantly. Ni groaned. "I had a bad dream last night is all."

"Tell me."

Once again, she described the dream. "Master Yoda said it was a Sith."

"I wouldn't be surprised," he said, a shiver running down his spine.

"Is that how you were wounded?"

Qui-Gon nodded and told her about the duel. "When he thrust the blade through my chest, I thought it was the end. Then I felt this disturbance in the Force and knew that something had changed."

"It was me and the Voyager," she said.

"That's right."

"So what now?"

Qui-Gon stood and took her hand. "Now we have a celebration to attend."

*************************************************

The Gungans played and danced in almost perfect synchronicity as the cheers of the Nubians rose around them. On a couple of beasts were the leader of the Gungans, Boss Nass, and General Jar Jar Binks, who had led the Gungan army into battle against the droid army. They reached the steps of the Palace and got off their beasts; Jar Jar getting his foot caught in the stirrup of the beast's saddle and falling to the ground.

"Mesa all right," he said as he got up and brushed himself off. He followed Boss Nass up the stairs to the group of people standing there.

Besides Queen Amidala and her entourage, the Jedi Council, Qui-Gon, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, there were four people from Voyager standing beside Obi-Wan as he stood next to Anakin and Master Qui-Gon. Ni stood closest to Obi-Wan with Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay and unofficial Federation of Planets Ambassador Neelix in a line next to her, chuckling at the Gungan's clumsiness.

Boss Nass reached the top of the stairs in front of the queen who was dressed in a beautiful white gown and cloak that looked like it was made of feathers. Her normal makeup was more subdued than usual and her eyes sparkled when she glanced back at her guests and she smiled at Anakin. She turned her attention back to Boss Nass just as he bowed before her.

She was handed a large ball with energy glowing inside of it and she turned to hand it to the Gungan leader. He held it high amidst the cheers of the crowd and Ni felt a chill run down her back.

Obi-Wan looked over at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she answered, but he felt compelled to touch her face anyway.

Her blue eyes met his blue-green ones and it seemed as if the parade and people around them were gone. "I'm fine," Ni said as the cause of the shiver was completely forgotten. After what had seemed like eternity, he broke the contact and turned back to the celebration.

Janeway saw the exchange and glanced back at Chakotay. He smiled at her and slid his hand across the bare skin of her low cut back to a place around her waist.

None of the Voyager people were in uniforms, but in clothing given to them by the Naboo as thanks for saving the life of Qui-Gon, a hero to their people. Ni wore a peach dress with sheer layers which showed off a figure that her uniform hid. Captain Janeway wore a similar dress only in a pale blue. Neelix and Chakotay wore white shirts with high collars and cream jackets over brown pants. None of the group looked like Starfleet officers and all felt like royalty.

Obi-Wan took Ni's hand and glanced back at her once again. This was like a dream and she was like one of the beautiful angels that Anakin spoke of when describing Padmé.

*******************************************

Although Ni had temporarily forgotten the sense of dread she had felt during the parade, it still hid in the corners of her mind. On the way to dinner after a short walk near the waterfalls with Obi-Wan, she felt the sense of dread and then it was gone again. Obi-Wan noticed this time as well and took her hand. "Everything's fine," he said as he looked into her eyes.

He turned to lead her to the dining room and ran headlong into an elegantly dressed man. "Excuse me, Chancellor Palpatine," he said. "I was not paying attention."

"If I had my hand in the hand of such a beautiful young woman," Palpatine said with a smile. "I wouldn't be paying attention either." He resumed his walk followed by blue uniformed guards.

"Who was that?" Ni asked, a chill running up her back.

"The chancellor of the New Republic, Palpatine," Obi-Wan answered.

"Why is he here?"

"He is from Naboo," Obi-Wan said. "What's wrong?"

"I just... He gives me the creeps is all," Ni replied.

He looked thoughtful. "Maybe we should keep an eye on the chancellor," he said.

"Just you or all of the Jedi?" Ni asked.

"I'll talk to Master Yoda about it," he said. "In the meantime, there's a beautiful feast that we're missing."

Ni smiled and pushed the bad thoughts away. "I'm coming," she said and let him put his hand at the small of her back where the skin tingled from his touch.

***************************************

Ni was being chased again, this time through the streets of Theed. When she ran into the dark man, she woke up sitting up with a suddenness that startled her bed partner awake.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked as he stroked her bare back then kissed her neck.

"A nightmare," she said. "Oh Obi-Wan, I want to go home."

"Back to the Alpha Quadrant?"

"Back to my own galaxy," she said. "I don't much care which quadrant."

She was crying and running her hands through her light brown hair. "It's alright," Obi-Wan soothed as he stroked her back and pulled her head on his shoulder so he could wrap his arms around her.

"No it's not," Ni whispered. "You think it's over, but it's only just begun." She pulled away from him and out of the bed to begin dressing. "I have to go back to the ship." She paused to pull the peach dress over her head. "I have to find out how we get home."

Obi-Wan slid out of bed and pulled on his trousers. "What if it's not time for you to go home?"

"It's time for us to go somewhere," she said as she straightened from putting on her shoes. "I don't know yet whether it's home."

"I want to go with you," he said as he pulled on his undertunic.

"No!" Ni said, turning to face him. "You have to train the boy."

"Qui-Gon can do it," he replied.

"No he can't," Ni said. "You have to." She reached out and pulled him close. "I will never forget you or this night."

"I won't forget you either," Obi-Wan said then leaned down to kiss her.

Her communicator, still pinned to the front of her dress, interrupted their kiss. Ni tapped it. "Ensign Kia here."

"Ensign, would you please return to the ship?" came Janeway's voice. "I want you here for the morning briefing."

"I'll be there in a few minutes captain," Ni said.

"Take your time," Janeway replied. "We'll wait for you."

"Thanks," Ni replied then tapped the badge to close the channel.

Obi-Wan put his hands on her hips. "We have some time," he said. "Just stay with me a little longer."

"I will," Ni whispered. "But only a little longer."

He kissed her deeply and she lost herself in his kiss.

***************************************

Ni practically ran down the corridors of Voyager and got to the turbolift to the bridge just before it closed. She had been with Obi-Wan longer than she had meant to be and now having stopped to change into her uniform, she was horribly late for the briefing. She looked up as the lift took her up in the ship to deck one. She was out and sprinting down the hall before the door had completely finished opening.

She burst into the briefing room out of breath. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said gasping for air.

"Are you late?" Tom asked jokingly as she took a chair between him and Harry. "I didn't notice."

"I'm very late," she said.

"I said I'd wait for you," Janeway said. "And I have."

"This from someone who was late herself," Tom commented.

"That's enough Tom," Chakotay said.

"Weren't you late too?" Tom asked with a sparkle in his eye.

"Tom," said Janeway, Chakotay and Ni at the same time.

"I'm shutting up now," he said a made like he was zipping his mouth.

"Now that we're all here," Janeway said as gave Tom a critical eye. "We can get down to business. Ensign Kia, I want you to work with Jedi Qui-Gon to find a way to get us back home." When Ni nodded, she went on. "B'Elanna, what is your report..."

**********************************************

Qui-Gon sat on his knees on the floor of the lab next to Ni as she took tricorder readings of the Orb and its box. "Obi-Wan will miss you when you leave," he told her.

"I'll miss him, too," Ni said with a glance to the older man. "I wish he could come with us."

"His destiny is here," Qui-Gon said.

Ni looked back at him. "I know." She turned back to her task.

"The best way to find what you need to know may be to just open the box and ask the Prophets," Qui-Gon said.

"I want to be able to say goodbye to Obi-Wan first," she said, not looking up from her work. "I don't want to accidentally be sent home without seeing him one last time."

"Then say goodbye now," came a voice from behind them.

They turned to find Obi-Wan standing behind them. Silently, Qui-Gon got up and left them alone. "Your Captain Janeway thought it might be a good idea for me to say goodbye before you get any further," Obi-Wan said.

"I'm glad," Ni said as she set the tricorder aside and turned towards him. 

He sat knee to knee with her and took her hands. "I wish you could stay," he said.

"I would stay, but I want to go home," Ni said.

Both were silent before Obi-Wan spoke again. "Take Qui-Gon."

Ni was surprised. "What?"

"Take Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan repeated. "I think he was destined to die here."

"We don't need Jedi where I am from," Ni said.

"Regardless," Obi-Wan said. "He will be needed where you are going." He paused. "Open the box." He got to his feet, thought and went back to kiss her deeply. Then Obi-Wan left the room.

Ni turned back to the box and stared at it for a few minutes. After enough time had passed for Obi-Wan to have made it back to the planet, she reached out and took the handles and, after a brief hesitation, opened the case. Almost immediately there was a flash and she was somewhere else, surrounded by light so bright it should have blinded her.

Turning, she saw Benjamin Sisko standing in the light. "Emissary," she said with a bow.

"That's not necessary," Sisko said. "I'm sending you to a new time."

"Not home?"

"No," Sisko responded. "Fifty years into the future to a time when Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are gone and Skywalker's children have become the new order of Jedi."

"Something's wrong there," Ni said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Sisko said. "One of the dark Prophets, a Wraith, was able to escape our fight and being trapped forever in the fire caves. It has come to this time and place to make sure that the Skywalker line does not survive." He paused. "The three children of Leia are in danger as is the fiancé of her brother Luke."

"What can we do?" Ni asked.

"There is nothing you can do but warn them," Sisko said. "They will be able to trap it, but only if it hasn't possessed a body."

"It would take the body of someone close to them," Ni said.

"But not too close," Sisko replied. "The Jedi Master will be of some use to you in that area." He paused. "And others."

"OK, so they can find and trap it," Ni said. "How do we keep it from getting away."

"You'll have to kill it," Sisko said matter-of-factly.

Ni was a bit annoyed by how he was being so vague. "How do we do that?"

"Patience," Sisko said. "You'll need it for this mission."

Ni took a breath and let go of her annoyance. "How do we kill it?" she asked, more centered this time.

"With fire," Sisko said then was gone and as suddenly as she had been taken away, she was back. Behind her, Qui-Gon waited for her report. "We're not going back to my galaxy just yet."

"I know. We have work here," Qui-Gon said.

Ni nodded as her communicator chirped. "Kia here," she said after tapping it.

"I'm going to need you and the Jedi on the bridge," she said. "We've been taken to a different time it seems."

"I'll be there in a minute to explain," Ni said. "Our work isn't finished yet."

********************************

"In my encounter with the orb, Sisko told me much of what he told you. We have to rescue these people from the Wraith," Janeway said after having listened to Ni's explanation.

"If we don't, history will be irreparably changed," Ni said. The Bajoran Ensign was sitting in a chair in the conference room between Harry and Qui-Gon while the rest of the senior crew, Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok, Tom, B'Elanna, Neelix and Seven of Nine, sat in seats around the table.

"How are we going to find this Wraith?" Chakotay asked.

"I will be able to sense the area he's in," Qui-Gon said. "But I will not be able to sense which person he has taken over until I am in the same room with him."

"The next question would be how do we warn them?" Tom asked.

Ni turned to the captain. "Captain, I think that you should contact the President and ask for a meeting with him. Then, without telling him why, try to gain his help in finding the Skywalker children."

"Children?" Qui-Gon asked as he turned to face her.

Ni nodded. "From what I gathered, they were twins. A boy, Luke, and a girl, Leia." She paused. "Luke is going to be married soon and Leia has three children already."

"If they are Jedi the President should know where they can be found," Harry said, understanding the plan and moving the conversation on again.

"One thing I suggest," Seven put in. Everyone gave their attention over to her. "These people do not have transporter technology and beaming down into the middle of their capitol may make them wary of us."

"Good point, Seven," Janeway said. "Normally I'd ask Tom to do the honors but this time... Ensign Ni, I'd like you to pilot the shuttle."

"I'd be happy to, Captain," Ni answered. "Qui-Gon does have a few things to say though."

"That I do," he said. "I lived on the Capitol in the Jedi temple for quite some time. I think a briefing should be in order so there are not any surprises."

"By all means," Janeway with a smile. "Go right ahead."

************************************************

It had taken them the better part of an hour to get through to the President's office and a good twenty minutes just to convince the secretary to allow them to talk to him. "President Gavrisrom is a very busy man," the droid said.

"This is a matter of the security of the Jedi," Janeway said firmly.

"I'm sorry but I have strict...," the droid turned away and speak to someone out of range of the screen then turned back. "I will transfer you to his office immediately."

"Thank you," Janeway said to the relief of everyone present as the screen flashed to a new venue and a man with feathered wings behind a desk.

"I am President Gavrisrom," he said. "What about the Jedi?"

"I have come upon some information that I would rather not reveal here," Janeway said. "Is there a way we could meet?"

"I'm afraid that would not be possible," he said. "I have a very full afternoon."

Qui-Gon stepped forward and waved his hand before the man's face. "The meetings are not important and you are clearing the afternoon for us."

"The meetings are not important and I am clearing the afternoon for you," the president said with his eyes slightly glazed.

"You will check where we can land our shuttle," he said as he waved his hand again.

"I will check where you can land your shuttle," he said and turned aside. "Landing platform 168."

"Thank you for your attention and we will see you shortly," Qui-Gon said and bowed. A shocked Janeway turned to Tuvok and had him end the transmission then turned back to her guest.

"How did you do that?"

Qui-Gon opened his mouth to speak but Ni beat him to it. "The Force is strong against the weak minded."

"I'm just glad he isn't Toydarian," Qui-Gon commented.

***************************************

Ni landed the shuttle on the platform specified and watched as their escort flew away. Waiting on the platform was the winged president and a droid as well as a security detail.

When they were standing in front of him, he demanded to know how they had made him clear his afternoon for them.

"That is a detail best left until we are alone," Janeway said.

The bird-like man waved the four to a shuttle and joined them there. They were taken to the huge, and slightly familiar to Qui-Gon, Imperial Palace. The Palace was a large pyramid that stood away from most other buildings except a large domed building that looked newly built that stood nearby. The president led them through the corridors of the palace until they reached his office. He led them in and sat them down.

"OK, now," he said. "Explain."

Janeway looked at Qui-Gon who nodded slightly and pulled back the hood of his cape. "This is Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

"That's impossible," Gavrisrom said. "No Jedi survived the purge."

"I survived the destruction of the Jedi simply because I was not there to be destroyed," Qui-Gon explained. "I was with these kind people as they were carried through time fifty years."

"From the past?" Gavrisrom asked.

"From the past," Janeway confirmed. She explained the entire story with the help of Qui-Gon.

"I am in shock," Gavrisrom said when they were done. "I think it's time to call in the Jedi." He touched a button on his desk. "TC-2B will you call Master Skywalker and Councilor Organa Solo to my office immediately?"

"Of course sir," the droid answered. "What do you want me to say to them?"

"That it's a matter of life and death." He paused. "Then beef up the security around the Councilor's quarters," Gave replied. "And tell them to hurry."

***************************************

Luke and Leia got to Gavrisrom's office at about the same time. "Do you know what's going on?" Luke asked her.

"Not a clue," Leia replied.

Luke let her go in first and they were immediately directed into the main office. Waiting inside with the president they found two women and a man with dark skin and pointy ears all with black uniforms with red or green trim. The fourth person was dressed in Jedi robes and Luke was surprised to find that he did not know the Jedi.

"Who are you?" Luke asked him.

"I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn," Qui-Gon said. "My companions are Captain Kathryn Janeway, Lieutenant Tuvok and Ensign Kia Ni of the United Federation of Planets."

"How did you survive the purge?" Luke asked.

Ni was losing patience rather quickly. "He didn't, he's a ghost, now can we get on with this?"

"Patience Ni," Qui-Gon said with a hand on her shoulder. "All will be explained." He turned to Luke. "Where is your fiancé?"

"Mara had business to take care of extricating herself from her former job," Luke replied.

"Her life is in grave danger," he said then looked to Leia. "As are the lives of your children."

"How?" Leia asked, the worry leaking into her voice.

Again, they told the story of the Wraith and how it had come to be here, leaving out Qui-Gon's part of the story.

"How do we get rid of it?"

Ni took a deep breath to calm herself. "The Emissary told me that you and your sister and fiancé can trap it and that it must be killed."

"How do we kill it?" Leia asked.

"With fire," Ni said. "I don't know how or anything."

"We'll just have to figure that out when the time comes," Luke said as he soothed his sister with a hand.

"It may possess someone close to you," Qui-Gon said. "Not Jedi as they could easily push it out."

"Han," Leia whispered then looked up at the assembled strangers. "My husband."

"Perhaps he's too close," Ni suggested. "You'd know in a second if it were someone that had taken over his body."

"Then who?" Leia asked with a touch of relief.

"We'll just have to keep an eye out," Janeway said. "I can send teams with scanners tuned to find it."

"And I have already upped the security in that area," Gavrisrom said.

"Maybe that isn't such a good idea," Luke said. "It just puts more people that the Wraith can use around the children."

"You should send for your fiancé," Qui-Gon said. "Her life is in danger as well, remember." Seeing Luke start to protest he held up a hand. "She does not know of a threat, and the closer she is to the others, the better she—and you—will be able to protect her."

Luke sighed, knowing he was right. "But you never explained about your presence and part in all this."

"All in due time," Qui-Gon said. "All in due time."

******************************************************

Mara arrived three days after Luke's worried message asking that she return to Coruscant. Until he said that her life was in danger, she had refused. Then Karrde had stepped in and insisted that she return to the capitol. "I didn't know he could be so demanding," she muttered to herself as she walked the corridors of the Imperial palace on her way to meet him in Leia and Han's living quarters.

Something strange is going on here, she thought as she made her way through the corridors of the Palace. Each member of security was escorted by a person in a black and green uniform. When Mara stretched out with the Force, she realized that she was being followed.

She slid her blaster from its holster as she went around a turn then stopped and pressed her back into the wall. When the person following her rounded the corner, Mara grabbed her by the uniform front and slammed her into the wall with a force that jolted the other's teeth. "Why are you following me?!" Mara demanded of the girl.

"I'm making sure that you're alone," said the girl, a strange humanoid with bumps on her nose who was wearing one of the black and green uniforms.

"Who are you?" Mara said as she let the girl go.

"I'm from far away and I'm trying to get home but the Prophets won't send us there until we finish this task," the girl said. "By the way, my name is Kia Ni, but you can call me Ni."

"Well, Ni," Mara said a bit more calmly. "Can you tell me what's going on? Why are all the people in black wandering around with the normal security?"

"Long story," Ni said. "Luke and the others are waiting to tell it to you."

*************************************

The wraith had found a home, a person whom he could posses. He snuck up on him and filled his mind, pushing aside the person who normally occupied this body. He was sure no one could stop him because nobody would be expecting him.

He walked through the Imperial Palace on his way to the quarters of the Solo family. They would be so devastated by the death of their children that they would never have any more, perhaps their marriage would even fall apart. Then he would go on to kill the Jedi Master's mate-to-be. The Jedi would be so mournful of his loss that he would never search out another and the Skywalker line would end right there. No descendants to trap him or his comrades in the fire caves to eventually be destroyed by the Emissary of the prophets.

He turned around the one last corner to see the guards at the door. He would be able to get past them slick as pie. Then he noticed their uniforms and swore. They were Starfleet officers. The same Starfleet that the precious Emissary of the Prophets had been so attached to.

*How did they get here?* he wondered. Probably the work of his good counterparts.

He slunk away only to run headlong into Mara Jade. Inwardly he smiled until he noticed the Starfleet officer at her side. He felt like swearing again as Mara spoke.

"What are you doing here Calrissian?" Mara asked. "You're a little early for the wedding."

"I was just in the neighborhood and thought I 'd stop and see my old pal Han," Calrissian said.

Obligated to do introductions, Mara turned to the young Bajoran woman at her side. "Kia Ni, this is Lando Calrissian."

Ni shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Ni," Lando said then cursed himself for his slip.

"How did you know to call her Ni?" Mara said as Ni slipped her tricorder from its pouch.

"I... I...," Lando stuttered as he backed up.

Ni hit her badge. "Kia to security. I have a probable." She pulled out her phaser and aimed it at the possessed man. "Hold still I don't want to have to stun you."

Lando's voice changed and it was suddenly the Wraith speaking. "You may have uncovered my identity but you will not destroy me." A Force blow strong enough to throw the two woman across the room emanated from the man. When they came to their senses, he was gone.

"Sith," Mara swore.

"Not quite," Ni said as Luke, Leia, Han and Qui-Gon came sprinting from around the corner.

"You OK?" Luke asked Mara.

"Fine," Mara replied. "What in the Hoth is going on here?"

"Long story, no time," Luke said as he looked up. It was almost as if he was looking through the ceiling.

"He's headed to the roof," Qui-Gon said.

"We'll explain on the way," Luke said.

*************************************

On the roof, still in Lando's body, the Wraith paced back and forth. He had to get away, but the entire building was alerted to his presence. He couldn't fight all of them. If he could get the Jedi alone... but it was too late. They were already here.

Luke and Qui-Gon led the small group out of the stairwell to confront the creature as it glowered at them with red eyes. "I will not give up," the Wraith growled at them. "You will have to kill your friend."

Ni pushed out in front and aimed her phaser at him. Before she could fire, both she and the phaser were flying over the edge. Ni managed to grab the edge with one hand at the same time keeping her phaser from falling the many stories down. She holstered it and grabbed on with the other hand.

"I am stronger, don't you see?" the wraith said and flung Mara in the opposite direction that he had flung Ni. She was able to catch herself before going over the edge, but not without breaking several ribs in the process.

"Mara!" Luke screamed and started towards her only to be stopped by the strong hand of Qui-Gon.

"She'll be fine," he said. "It is the Wraith we must fight now."

Luke looked back over to where Mara had landed to see her pick herself up from the floor, clutching her side. She gave him a brief nod and walked back to his side. "Together we are strong," she said and took Luke's hand. He in turn took his sister's and she took Qui-Gon's.

As the Jedi kept the attention of the Wraith, Ni pulled herself over the edge of the building and rolled away from the edge. The wraith felt her coming seconds before she could pull out her phaser and tried tossing her over again. This time she landed on the slanting side of the building with a quiet "Oof." Immediately, she began sliding and gaining speed. Before she could hit bottom, she felt the tingle of the transporter beam.

The Wraith continued its attack on the Jedi on the roof above only to be stopped by a Force created force field. They had to buy some time as the phasers the Starfleet people had were set to a frequency that would drive the Wraith out of the body he had possessed. At least in theory.

The Wraith continued his barrage of blue lightning until he could feel the four Jedi weakening. Then he laughed and redoubled his efforts. He was drawing the strength from the Jedi.

Suddenly a beam struck him in the back and the barrage stopped. The Jedi fell to the ground as he turned to his attacker. Ni, Janeway and Tuvok stood, phasers drawn, ready to fire again, which they did before he could send a barrage of lightning through their bodies. He gasped and steeled himself for another barrage from the phasers but when it came, he found he could no longer hold onto the body. The Wraith abandoned Lando's body leaving him to fall to the ground. It floated above him, a white light that reminded Ni of the wormhole.

Quickly it tried to flee but in its hesitation it lost precious time. The Jedi trapped it in a solid Force bubble, their arms outstretched their faces hard with concentration. 

Ni had a sudden vision, like a memory. The Jedi in Fire Valley on Bajor over the fire caves. They stood with the Wraiths in a bubble much like the one before her. Balls of fire, provided by the Prophets, appeared in their hands and they threw them at the Wraiths. It was good enough to entomb them but not kill them.

Ni came out of the vision to find that the Jedi were weakening. She had to do something fast. //The phaser,// came Qui-Gon's voice in her mind.

Ni looked back at Janeway and held up her phaser. Janeway got the idea and set her phaser to overload. Tuvok and Ni did the same. At a three count, they all activated them and threw them at the Force bubble. The Jedi let them pass through then solidified the bubble, but they weren't quite strong enough to keep it completely solid.

Seeing it flash in and out of solidness, Janeway realized that the blast could kill everyone on the rooftop if the bubble wasn't solid. "They need help," Janeway said to the others.

"But there's nothing more we can do," Ni said as the high pitched squeals of the phasers indicating overload rose in pitch.

"There is something we can do," Tuvok said. "Offer them our strength."

Janeway looked at them then grabbed Ni's arm. They ran to where the Jedi still held hands and broke through the innermost hands, careful not to break the chain. The bubble almost instantly solidified, seconds before the three phasers exploded. The force of the blast was enough to break the concentration of the Jedi and throw them across the roof.

Ni was the first to sit up, finding herself at Mara's side. She glanced over at the woman and realized that she was in bad shape. The others were up seconds later. "It's gone," Qui-Gon said. "Dead."

"Good," Ni said. "Now let's get Mara up to the ship." Janeway tapped her combadge.

Luke leaned over Mara. "If that means medical care, then how quickly can you get us there?"

"How about...," Ni began as Janeway finished her call to the ship and their surroundings began to disassemble. "Right now," she finished as they appeared in sickbay.

"How's that for service," Qui-Gon joked.

********************************

"Fit as a proverbial fiddle," the doctor said as he slid the scanner from over his patient. "Both of them." He looked over at the confused Lando as he sat on another of the room's four biobeds.

Mara sat up from the biobed after the relatively short treatment session of just over an hour. "That was quick," she said.

"Would somebody tell me what's going on?" Lando asked.

"Long story Lando," Luke said as the doors to the sickbay opened and Qui-Gon and Ni came in. He turned to the older Jedi. "Are you willing to tell me where you fit in all of this?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "I knew your father," he said.

"When?" Luke asked.

"A long time ago when he was a child," Qui-Gon said as he slapped Luke on the shoulder and led him from the room followed closely by Mara. She wasn't willing to miss this story for anything.

Leia came in just after they had departed and looked at Lando. "How are you?"

"Confused," he said. "Really, really confused."

"I'll tell you about it on the way to the... what was it again?" she directed this question at Ni.

"Transporter room," Ni told her.

Leia started off on the confused man's arm then turned back at the door. She kissed Ni's cheek and said, "Thanks you for everything you've done."

"I hope you thanked the captain, too," Ni said.

"I will do that," Leia said and went back to take Lando's arm. "See Lando, it's like this...," she began then was gone.

"Ensign?" the doctor asked questioningly. "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine," Ni said. "Perfectly fine." She gave him a jaunty two finger salute and marched out of the room.

*************************************

"Are you sure you won't come with us?" Ni asked Qui-Gon as she hugged him. "I'm sure the Bajoran government would welcome you with open arms."

"I'm sure they would as well," Qui-Gon said. "But I am needed here."

"To help teach a new breed of Jedi," Ni said.

"That's why I was brought here, to this time," Qui-Gon said. "I was teaching ahead of my time then. Now," he stopped to chuckle. "I will be teaching behind the times."

"Funny how much things can change in such a short span of time," Ni commented as she hugged the Jedi Master once more. "I'll never forget you."

"I am a part of you," Qui-Gon said. "As Obi-Wan is."

Ni smiled at the memory. "Thanks for the memories," she said as she released him and he stepped on the transporter pad.

"May the Force be with you," he said as he sparkled away.

"And you my friend," Ni said to the now empty transporter pad. She stood for a minute in the silence before heading out the door and to the lab.

**********************************************

"And they leave us back where we started," Janeway said as she looked out the window of her ready room at the now familiar stars of the Delta Quadrant.

"Ni said that the Emissary...," Chakotay began has he embraced her from behind.

"Read: Captain Sisko," Janeway put in leaning her head on his shoulder.

"...Said we have much to do here," Chakotay finished. "I tend to believe her and him."

Janeway sighed. "Nowhere does it say I have to like it."

Chakotay turned her to face him. "You're not still feeling guilty, are you?"

She shook her head. "I had a talk with Qui-Gon while he was here and it kind of made me come to terms with things."

"Like the guilt?"

"That," Janeway said as she headed over to the food dispenser for another cup of coffee. "And my feelings for you."

"Good for him," Chakotay answered as two cups of the steaming brew materialized. "And good for you."

"Good for us," she corrected as she stirred the coffee while looking into its depths. She looked up at him. "Good for us." 

She handed him the extra cup. He lifted it in a toast and clinked it against her cup.

***************************************

"Master Qui-Gon," came a voice from behind the Jedi as he stood on the roof overlooking the city.

Qui-Gon turned to find Luke standing there with two mugs of steaming liquid. He handed one to the elder Jedi and took a sip of his own. "It's a different universe today," Luke said. "Isn't it?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon said. "It's strange."

"I have a million questions to ask you," the younger man went on. "But I have no idea where to start."

"What kind of questions?"

Luke shrugged. "Did you know my mother?"

"Yes, my young Jedi," Qui-Gon said as he slapped Luke's shoulder. "She was Queen of the Naboo."

"Tell me about her."

"I will, Luke," he said. "But where to begin..." he stopped to contemplate. "Obi-Wan and I were sent to Naboo to negotiate with the Trade Federation..."

***************************************************

Ni stood in the near empty dining hall looking out as the stars streaked by. Her thoughts were clear and concise and about one topic. 'How am I going to tell the Bajoran government about this adventure?'

Her thoughts strayed to Obi-Wan. Luke had told her how he died and she had had a good cry over it. She wished she could have stayed, but her destiny lay along a different path from his.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Neelix asked from behind her. "At least that's what I think that old Earth saying that Tom always uses is."

Ni turned and smiled at the Talaxian. "Just wondering what will happen to our friends back in the galaxy far away," she answered.

"Likely lots of adventure," Neelix answered. "It's not easy to put lives back together after a war. I should know."

"I think you're right," Ni said and slapped him on the shoulder. She walked with him as he headed to the kitchen. "I learned a lot about myself and my people."

"I'm glad," Neelix said.

"Now," Ni said as she rubbed her hands together. "What's for dinner? I'm starving."

****

THE END

   [1]: mailto:PaRuJinn@marajade.net



End file.
